Cubs manager Joe Maddon pulled out one of his rare defensive alignments for a test drive Monday night.

With the Cubs leading by five runs in the fifth inning of a 15-5 win, Maddon elected to move third baseman Kris Bryant as part of a four-outfielder alignment against Reds slugger Joey Votto.

Votto foiled Maddon's strategy by pulling a double down the right field line, but Maddon seemed warm to the idea of using the special defense in the future.

"We'll continue to throw it out there when we think it's the right thing to do," Maddon said.

The idea was presented to Maddon by former Angels scout Gary Sutherland prior to the 2002 World Series. Sutherland thought this was the best way to defend Giants slugger Barry Bonds.

"But at that time nobody did crazy shifts like that," Maddon said. "So it was Gary that wanted to do that. It always stuck in my head with the Rays when we had all the charts that it didn’t make any sense to cover the other side against those guys."

"They never hit the ball on the ground over there, but they put balls in the gaps," Maddon said. "Votto right now is ungodly. Whatever you do, you’re taking chances anyhow.

"It’s almost like Tony Gwynn when he was good, actually moving to be in the right spot as the ball was pitched to try to be in the right spot or to distract him. We did in that situation for that reason."

Left fielder Jon Jay never had been a part of a four-outfielder alignment.

"It’s kind of cool," Jay said. "It’s smart. Joey is an unbelievable hitter and does a lot of damage, and we’re just trying to defend it to that point."

Jay, however, said the reduction in territory covered is misleading.

"Communication can get little dicey out there," Jay said. "It was something different, but made a lot of sense."

Photos from the Cubs-Reds game at Wrigley Field on Monday, Aug. 14, 2017.